Paul Ryburn's Journal

BREAKING NEWS: The Tigers baseball game vs. #17 Ole Miss scheduled for 6:30 at AutoZone Park has been postponed. Threat of rain forced the game’s cancellation. This is great news for me, because the local bars would have been filled with popped collars, blue and red argyle, khakis, and obnoxious Hotty Toddy cheers pre-game. It is no fun being around Ole Miss fans if you are not one. They have not yet decided whether to reschedule the game or find a different opponent. I vote for a different opponent!

In other baseball news, the Redbirds have their season opener at home against the Oklahoma City RedHawks Thursday night at 7:05. They’ll be in town until the following Thursday. Saturday’s game in particular will be a big one, with a fireworks display afterward honoring Cardinals legend Stan “The Man” Musial.

The Memphis Farmers Market opens for the season Saturday. It’s at the Central Station Pavilion, Front at G.E. Patterson, from 7 PM to 1 PM. For those who have never been, it’s much more than just a place to buy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also buy fresh flowers, jams and jellies, breakfast goods, arts and crafts, and locally-grown meat and more. Several food trucks usually set up shop at the market and sell breakfast and lunch. There is live music every week and there are usually pet adoptions too. Every Saturday at 7 there are local chefs at the market buying for their restaurants, a sign that the farmers’ goods are held in high esteem by folks who know food. Good opportunity to mingle with your neighbors too. If you haven’t been, you definitely need to check it out.

Sache posted a photo of bandeau tops in many colors to their Facebook page. They even have cute lace ones. Tube Top Month begins May 24, but why wait when these beautiful tops can be yours today?

The final table of Blind Bear’s 16-week poker league is tonight at 8. I haven’t been going to poker there enough to qualify, but I plan on being there tonight to cheer on my friends who won a seat. A new 16-week league will start Sunday night, and it’s free to play, so why not come join?

I stopped by Bardog last night. I had heard there would be a new menu yesterday, but I didn’t notice anything different on the menu I looked at. The Cuban sliders which were one of the specials were very good though.

I’ll be out after work tonight. First stop will likely be the Saucer now that I know the Ole Miss fans won’t be there.

I’ve seen activity inside the former Krispy Krunchy Chicken location at 51 S. Main, and this morning I learned what was going on in there – and it’s great news for those who live and work in the Downtown core. Dejavu is opening a second location. Dejavu is a very popular Creole and soul food restaurant on Florida Street, just a few blocks south of Downtown. The couple of times I’ve been, the food has been excellent, but it’s such a small place that I never know if I will get a table or not. The new second location is 4000 square feet, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

The new Dejavu location will have a patio that seats 20 outside. That is great news! Patio dining is making its way farther and father up Main Street.

I’ve seen restaurants come and go in that location, and it almost seems cursed, like nothing can make it there. Even a 600-location chain like Krispy Krunchy Chicken failed. Dejavu, however, has almost a cult-like following already, and I have little doubt it will survive and thrive on Main Street.

Last week a guy dressed in full Easter Bunny costume showed up at the Flying Saucer, Silly Goose, and Blind Bear one evening. Saturday I learned more information about him… he’d spent the day touring local hospitals to cheer up sick kids, and he decided to finish the day with a mini-pub crawl. Good for the Bunny, and he certainly has good taste in bars!

News for my fellow former Sleep Out Louie’s regulars: Our buddy Josh has landed a writing gig for the Jackson Sun. He’s finishing up college at MTSU, and had an internship here in Memphis last summer for Sports 56 WHBQ. It’s great to see him doing well in his chosen career.

WrestleMania 29 is this Sunday. Wrestling legend Iron Sheik wrote an article for Bleacher Report on who the real and who the jabroni at the WrestleMania. Team the Dusty son and team the Bob Orton son are among Sheikie’s picks.

Bardog rolls out a new menu today. If I get a chance I’ll swing by and take a look.

Most likely I’ll have a second post up today after work. It involves bacon, so it’s definitely worth checking back.

You know what? This is April 1. April Fool’s Day. And I had a “Tube Top Month Canceled” post for April Fool’s that some would believe and some not.

But you know what? I played poker tonight (March 31, I’m up late) at the Blind Bear. I had pocket Aces and my buddy Dennis busted me with 10-9. The board came 2-K-6-10-9. Backdoor two pair. That was rough. But I didn’t mind because it was Dennis. We’re family down here. That’s how Downtown is.

An hour later, I found myself at the bar at the Silly Goose. My friend Jason was there. He’d been in the final table but hadn’t been involved in the Dennis vs. me hand. But he told me: “You know, Paul? You’re responsible for me being here. Not here (Memphis) because I was going to move there for work anyway, but here (Downtown). Reading your blog convinced me.” I cannot tell you how much that means.

And you know why this blog remains so popular year after year? It’s not just because I report what’s going on Downtown. It’s because I put myself into it. My thoughts, my opinions. And therefore, you get Tube Top Month. And it’s the real deal and we’re keeping it. So, no joke that it’s going away this year. Instead, a notification for mobile and RSS readers to pull up my blog on the web, because Tube Top Month is coming back for ’13 and the countdown is on. See the right-hand sidebar.

And if you don’t like it I got two words for ya…

SUCK IT.

11-year-old entrepreneur Moziah Bridges has rescheduled his Mo’s Bows trunk show for next Saturday at Shelton Clothiers. It was supposed to be today, but they felt that people won’t want to be Downtown today because of the KKK rally. Sad that this gathering of idiots had to affect a fine young man’s startup business.

Also, I wonder what will happen to businesses like Jack’s Food Store that are inside the “red zone” that will be cordoned off from 8 AM to 6 PM? Will they be expected to sacrifice 10 hours of revenue so a hate group can exercise its right to free speech?

In better news, people who live on the Island soon won’t have to cross the bridge to get sushi. Miss Cordelia’s will begin selling rolled-to-order sushi in two weeks.

The grand opening of Jerry “The King” Lawler’s wrestling museum is today. The former AWA champion’s title belt will be on display along with plenty of other classic Memphis wrestling memorabilia. The King will be at the museum this afternoon from 1 to 4.

Random link of the day: Wikipedia’s page on prostitution in Nevada

My NCAA bracket is still in pretty good shape thanks to wins by Louisville, Duke, and Michigan last night. I need Ohio State, who I picked to go all the way, to win in the 5:05 game this afternoon. The Marquette-Syracuse game doesn’t matter to me because that quadrant of my bracket is dead. I’ve fallen to second in the Memphis Twitter Brackets standings.

Glad I live south of “the red zone.” I will have no trouble walking to Bardog at 11 for a PBR at Panda’s bar. Business as usual in the Downtown core!

 

This morning I woke up to the news that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is planning to launch missiles at the U.S. mainland. Okay, let’s be realistic here. The only part of the U.S. that North Korean missiles could reach are the Aleutian Islands, the volcanic chain that extends westward from Alaska. So yeah Kim, go ahead and attack us. Polar bears must die for U.S. imperialism!

South Main Trolley Tour is tonight from 6 to 9 PM. Most of the shops and galleries will be open during that time. Some will offer special discounts, and some will serve hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine to their guests (free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up). There will be live performers and art demonstrations on the street. The South Main Association will sell beer, and if you’re an SMA member there will be free beer and hot wings (and possibly burgers) for you in the parking lot next to Bluff City Coffee.

Tonight is also the grand opening of the Downtown Candle Company. It’s on G.E. Patterson between the Arcade Restaurant and Cheesecake Corner.

Trolley Tour night will also see the South Main Design Challenge Concept Unveiling. Teams have put together ideas for vacant and under-utilized spaces in the South Main area, including the vacant lot at Talbot and Main. Hey, who sez that lot is under-utilized? I remember walking by several years ago and seeing a couple have sex on that lot after a night at Raiford’s. They were certainly making good use of that space. Anyway, I hear there are some very cool and creative concepts for those areas, so come check ’em out.

Circa Survive and Minus the Bear will be at the New Daisy at 7 PM tonight. I know that’s a band, but it kinda sounds like Chef John Bragg is making a hostile attempt to reclaim his former restaurant space on Main.

The Grizzlies host the Rockets tonight at the FedExForum at 7.

I’m still hearing people say, “I kind of want to go to the KKK rally, just to see what one is like.” Here’s a suggestion: Get on YouTube and search for “kkk rally.” But PLEASE don’t go tomorrow. Every person present adds legitimacy to what those hate-filled imbeciles are trying to accomplish. Plus, with all the different groups down there, MPD Director Toney Armstrong described the situation as a powder keg waiting to explode. That doesn’t sound like a good place to be. You know, last week I wanted to see lions fight crocodiles. But I didn’t get on a plane to Kenya and sit on the banks of the Nile. I used YouTube. Do the same for the KKK rally. As the poster says, Keep calm and carry on. As KC and the Sunshine Band says, Please don’t go.

For those more interested in going to a bar than to church on Easter Sunday, I’ve confirmed that Bardog will open at 11 AM as usual that day. I will probably lead off there and avoid the massive Easter brunch crowd that is likely to hit the Majestic. I’ll have my Sunday best on for Easter. And by that I mean, shorts and flip flops. Max’s Sports Bar will open early both days this weekend: 2:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday.

There was a guy dressed as the Easter Bunny at the Silly Goose and Blind Bear last night when I was there. I heard earlier he’d been sitting in the window at the Saucer. No idea why. Several people posed for pictures with him.

All right, it’s lunch time. I’ll be out at the bars about 5:30, probably starting at the Silly Goose for $1.50 happy hour PBR.

The Memphis in May BBQ Fest team I’m on, the Moody Ques, will have coverage this May from one of the most popular food blogs on the Internet. A writer from SeriousEats.com contacted the team today. He asked if he could go backstage with us, and get detailed stories and shots for an article on BBQ Fest from Memphians’ point of view. The article will be published on the site after BBQ Fest is over. Needless to say, the team captains came back with a response of YES!!! just minutes after being asked.

SeriousEats was ranked #17 on TIME Magazine’s list of the 50 Best Websites a few years ago. It received two awards from the James Beard Foundation in 2010, for Best Food Blog and Best Video Webcast. I didn’t know either of those facts until I got on Wikipedia, but I knew the site had to be a big deal because the Nuh-Uh Girl reads it every day. We are delighted to be covered by SeriousEats and can’t wait to see the article!

The team still has a couple of spots open, so if you’re interested, email me at paul@paulryburn.com or talk to me or any other Moody Ques team member when you see us out.

Today I learned of a very cool smartphone app in development by a professor at the University of Memphis, and I think it could be particularly useful to Downtowners so I wanted to pass along the info. CleanApp is a global app that will allow you to take a photo of graffiti, trash, etc., and tag it and report it to the appropriate municipal waste service. Some cities and neighborhoods have given this a try, but the beauty of CleanApp is that it’s global – it does all the work figuring out what municipal service to report to. You don’t have to look up phone numbers, email addresses and such.

It will be a sustainable nonprofit platform, but like any new business, they need startup capital. They’ve set up an IndieGoGo page where you can make a donation. There are also informational videos on YouTube, a FAQ, and a Facebook page that you can “Like” to receive updates about the project. They hope to have startup funds raised by Earth Day, April 22.

Shelton Clothiers is having a trunk show for Mo’s Bows Saturday from 1 to 4. 11-year-old entrepreneur Moziah Bridges will show off his latest bowtie designs. Come buy some bowties and look sharp for church Easter Sunday. Even better, come buy some bowties and look sharp when you skip church and go to the bar on Easter Sunday!

Speaking of Easter Sunday and the bar… the Flying Saucer will open at 4 PM Sunday to give the staff time to celebrate Easter with their families. Best seats on Sunday should be the benches, couches, tables, window seats, and the rails.

Looks like the cold weather is going to continue. I pulled up the Weather Channel’s extended forecast and they’re predicting highs of 59, 46, 52, and 59 for the first four days of April. Normal high for Memphis would be in the 69-70 range.

Random link of the day: 23 urban foxes who have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.

Last night I stopped at the Silly Goose, where our BBQ team vice-president Clay was at the bar with a laptop, doing research on Sweden, Memphis in May’s honored country. What we discovered is that, while Sweden is one of the most admired countries in the world, there really aren’t a lot of well-known people from Sweden. Maybe that’s why Sweden is so admired: They don’t have screw-ups like Charlie Sheen and Kim Kardashian in the news every day the way we do.

Thursday night is poker night at Dancin’ Jimmy’s on Beale. It’s free to play, starts at 8. It’s in the elegant upstairs room. Last week I snapped a few photos:

That’ll wrap it up. I’ll be out somewhere about 5:30, Saucer or Goose probably.

My BBQ team, The Moody Ques, is going to have a few spots open this year. Our team competes in the shoulder category in the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest, known colloquially as “BBQ Fest,” which will be held May 16-18 this year. We have one of the largest spaces in the park, and throw a big party. This year we have the Blind Bear completely managing the bar. WordPress (the engine that powers this blog) is our main sponsor, and head WordPress guru Matt Mullenweg will be in our booth. If you’d be interested in being a part of the team, you can either 1) shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com; 2) talk to me when you see me out; 3) talk to another team member if there’s someone you know better than me.

One new development: By Memphis in May rules we can’t have a DJ in the booth. However, we will have an iPod playing music, with the playlist put together by none other than DJ Cody from the Silly Goose. I may not hang out a whole lot late-night on weekends at the Goose, but I am a huge fan of what Cody does and I know we’re going to have some great stuff on that iPod.

Paul Morris who runs DMC emailed me with some info about the First Church Thursday night rooftop concert series starting April 11. People had wondered why they booked the concerts the same night as the Peabody rooftop parties. Paul told me that the concerts are only an hour long, and since the Peabody rooftop parties run until 11 PM there’s plenty of time to do both. Paul also said that First Church has a new minister who is excited about getting engaged with the Downtown community. The concerts are free, which is an appealing price whether you’re normally a churchgoer or not.

First there were Nacho Cheese Doritos.
Then there were Cool Ranch Doritos.
Then there were Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos at Taco Bell.
Then there were Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos.
Now there are Locos Tacos Doritos.

Take a minute to check out the NBA standings on Yahoo! Sports. In particular, look in the lower right of the page at the Western Conference standings, and look at that beautiful x- next to Memphis. That means the Grizzlies have made the playoffs. Tickets for the first round will go on sale April 6.

A restaurant named Blu was raided yesterday. This is a restaurant in southeast Memphis in Hacks Cross Road, and is in no way related to Bleu Restaurant in the Westin Hotel. Bleu is open for business.

I played poker at the Blind Bear last night. I hit some good hands and made it all the way to heads-up, where I lost to my good buddy Dennis.

Congratulations to Dennis on the win.

My plan tonight will be to start at the Silly Goose to have a happy hour PBR at Jessica’s bar. After than, plans TBD.

Guess who got recognized on Forbes’ list of 15 Emerging U.S. Downtowns? That’s right – we did. Nice to see national publications recognizing that Downtown is on the rise.

If you’re a young professional between jobs, here’s a neat opportunity: You can apply to be a blogger for Volunteer Odyssey. This is a 7-day journey through the nonprofits of Memphis, where you will be able to write about the volunteer opportunities you’ll experience. You’ll get the chance to network with other young professionals and people who work in nonprofits. Your blog will serve as proof that you have used your spare time to develop your communication, marketing, and relationship building skills.

Last night I was talking with a friend of mine. Saturday night he stayed at the Flying Saucer until closing time at 2 AM, then decided he was hungry. With Cockadoos closed, it may seem like there aren’t many places to get food in the Downtown core at that hour besides Denny’s. However, my friend found a good place to eat: He had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and blackeyed peas at Miss Polly’s Cafe on Beale Street at 2:15. “Good comfort food at a late hour,” he said. Something to keep in mind. Most people don’t think of Beale Street for very-late-night food.

Here’s a link to more info on the Heart of Memphis rally this Saturday at Tiger Lane.

Off to lunch, that’s it for now. Possibly a second post after work.